Shoe shiner



J. E. ADAMS SHOE SHINER Filed Sept. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheqz l JamesEAdams JL E. ADAMS,

SHOE SHINER Filed Sept- 2 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet,

L I I I ll Patented Nov. 25, 1224..

JAMES E. ADAMS, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SHOE SHINER.

Application filed September 25, 1922. Serial No. 590,478.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. ADAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Shiners, of which the following is a speci fication.

My said invention relates to a shoe shining machine and it is an object of the same to provide a device which shall be adapted to act on either high or low shoes with equal facility.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which shoes of diiferent colors may be polished.

Another object is to provide a machine which shall be expeditious and thorough in its action and which will do its work without the necessity of awkward or tiresome po sitions on the part of the user.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figures 1 and 1 taken together constitute a plan view of the device, and

Figures 2 and 2 a side elevation of said device.

In the drawings reference character 10 indicates a framework having at one end a series of steps 11 leading up to the floor 12 and at the other end a second series of steps leading down from the floor. At each side of the floor is a series of uprights 1 f supporting a hand rail 15. 7 Endless belts 16 preferably pass over the hand rails 15 at the ends of which are located rollers 17 for guiding the belts which pass down at one end, then over another set of guide rollers 18 and up at the other end over driven pulleys 19 by which the belts are continually moved along the hand rails. These belts may, however, be dispensed with if preferred.

The floor which extends from end to end of the device is cut away midway between the belts to provide a space for an endless band 20 carrying slats which constitute a traveling floor. At opposite sides of the floor there are arranged a series of devices comprising rotary brushes 21 located on shafts positioned close to the traveling floor whereby the brushes may project over the same and close to each other. The four brushes of the first set are for the purpose The second set of four brushes 22 is provided for the purpose of applying polish to the shoes, which in this instance may be black polish taken by the brushes from vertical cylinders 23 of polishing material arranged adjacent the of cleaning the shoes.

brushes. The third set of brushes 24 is here shown as intended for the application of polishing material of a different color or character, as for example tan or brown polish, the material in this instance being taken from cylinders 25 of polishing material. The pairs of polish applying brushes at opposite sides of the traveling floor are each mounted on a longitudinally extending bar 26 and the bars are connected by links 27 and an intermediate lever 28. At one side of the frame a hand lever 29 is attached to one of the links and by means of the hand lever the bars with the brushes can be spread apart to prevent contact with the shoes as shown at the third set of brushes or can be brought together into the position shown by the second set.

The user, as will be understood, mounts the steps 11, passes over the end portion of floor 12 to the traveling floor where he places one foot behind the other on the traveling floor and places his hands on the traveling bands 16. -He is then carried forward between the pairs of brushes 21, 22 and 24 and then to a set of tubes 30 through which air is blown against the shoes to dry the polish. After these tubes are past he next encounters a relatively long series of brushes 31 located at opposite sides of the traveling floor, alternate brushes at each side rotating in opposite directions to give a thorough and lasting polish to the shoe. For the purpose of driving the various mechanism there is shown a motor 32 driving a pulley 33 by means of a belt 34. The pulley 33 is connected by belts 35, 36 and 37 respectively to pulleys 38, 39 and 19. The latter pulley has already been referred to as driving the band 16. The pulley 39 drives a fan in a casing 40 to supply air to the tubes 30. The pulley 38 drives a shaft 41 carrying beveled gears at opposite ends, these gears meshing with the shaft 42. Each shaft 43 carries a plurality of beveled gears 44 impelled in one direction by springs 45 to mesh with beveled gears on the shafts 46 of the individual brushes of the different sets. The yieldable mounting of the beveled gears 44 provides for ready connection and disconnection of the intermeshing gears. [it the exit end of the device is a pair of pulleys l? on a shaft L8, these pulleys being driven by the cables or other contacting elements of the traveling floor 90. At its opposite ends the shaft has a pair of beveled gears 49 meshing with beveled gears carried by a pair of shaits 50 which drive the brushes 31 by gearing similar to that for driving the brushes at the inlet end.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without depazting from the spirit of my invention the true scope of which is indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters .L atent, is:

1. A shoe shining device comprising a traveling floor one or more series 01 brushes located alongside thereof contact with shoes on the floor and a traveling handrail.

substantially as set forth.

2. A shoe shining device comprising a traveling floor. a stationary support at each side of the floor. shoe shining devices on the stationary support adapted to contact with shoes on the traveling floor, and traveling hand rails at both sides of the floor, substantially as set forth.

3. A shoe shining device comprising a traveling floor, a stationary support ateach side of the floor, shoe shining devices on the stationary support adapted to contact with shoes on the traveling floor hand rails at both sides of the floor. and bands on said hand rails traveling in timed relation. with the floor. substantially as set forth.

4. A shoe shining device comprising a traveling floor. a. pluiality or sets of devices at each side of the floor adapted to act selectively to apply shoe shining materials of diilerent colors or characters to shoes on the traveling floor and manually controlled means for selectively bring ng into operation the said sets of devices, substantially as set forth.

5. A shoe shining d vice comprising a traveling floor. opposed devices arranged in pairs at opposite sides thereof for applying shoe shining material to the shoes on the floor, and means for simultaneously moving certain pairs of said opposed devices into and out of operative position, substantially as set forth.

6. A shoe shining device comprising; a traveling floor. a brush at each side thereof movable toward and away from said floor for applying polishing material at times to shoes on the floor. bars extending longitudinally of the floor for supporting said brushes. and manually operated means for simultaneously moving said bars toward and from the floor. substantially as set forth.

7. A. shoe shining device comprising in combination with a traveling floor. a plurality 01" devices at each side of the floor for selectively applying shoe shining materials of different colors or charactes to shoes on the traveling floor, and means for selectively moving said devices into and out of open ation, substantially as set forth.

8. A shoe shining device comprising in combination with a traveling floor, a plnrality of sets of brushes each set comprising a pair of brushes at opposite sides 01 the floor for selectively a plying shoe shininy material of different colors or characters to shoes on the travelinsr floor, and selective means tor simultaneously moving the pairs of brushes comprising any set into 01' out of operation, substantially as set forth.

9. In a shoe shining device a traveling floor. means for selectively applying shoe shining materials of different colors or char actors to shoes on the floor, said means conr prising a plurality of sets of brushes each so having a pair of brushes at opposite sides 01" the floor. each pair of brushes being mounted on a longitudinally extending support adjacent the floor. links operatively connecl'in; the said supports. and an operating lever l'or selectively operating the links of any set ol' brushes to move the last said brushes into or out of operation, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Memphis, Tennessee. this 31st day of August. A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-two.

JAMES E. ADA MS.

JOHN W. FARLEY. F. M. BAILEY. 

